Wishfull-star: :D

Usopp demanded to know why he didn't realize it. There was a whole chamber beneath them! "The blood was smelling really strongly," he said defensively. He looked down, and scowled. He was coated in blood all to his legs. Shorts ruined, shirt ruined. "Now all I have is this barrel. Kinda."

"Well, in different circumstances… but not right now, here, no way."

Nami smiled behind her hand. "Would somebody be embarrassed?" she teased. Zoro scowled at her, and went to sit in the corner of the cage. Luffy pressed his hands against the bars, but it made him weak. Nami saw the look on his face, a furious, unnerving and slightly crazed look suddenly, and yanked him away. Smoker was dropped inside, too, having entered without permission.

"No touching that anymore, understand?" she demanded. Luffy nodded, moping. He was losing it when he touched something that made him feel extremely vulnerable. Smoker asked why Luffy was covered in blood, but didn't seem hurt. "None of your business," Nami snapped. Smoker then hit him in the side of the head with his jitte and then pinned it on him.

Luffy's eyes widened and he managed to grab the jitte and hold on tight enough to collapse it. Zoro pulled Luffy away from it. "Damn it," Zoro hissed, seeing Luffy was exhausted already. "What the hell was that?" But Smoker looked at his jitte in shock. He glared at Luffy suspiciously.

"He's a fruit user, seastone should weaken him immediately. Looks like it has an after affect. The stone of this jitte and cage is made of seastone, a mysterious metal that emits the same energy as the water. It's still a mystery, but it keeps devil fruit users from using their power," he explained, looking at his jitte in light anger.

He sat down, glaring at Luffy. Zoro looked troubled. He looked at Nami and Usopp, who knew the gravity of Luffy being exhausted already. Both of them moved in front of Zoro and Luffy, who took Zoro's arm and drank enough that was the size of two of the mini bags. He didn't moan, he just made himself look bored, completely controlling himself. Luffy wiped his face on him.

He pulled away with a thanks. He made sure not to touch the bars anymore. He snuggled into Zoro, an action that didn't fit the situation. Smoker looked at them with narrowed eyes, clearly now knowing there was more than a crewmember relationship. "Is now the time?" he snapped. Zoro gave him the middle finger. Then they were interrupted with a deep, cold voice, teasing them about fighting amongst themselves. Luffy hadn't even smelled him. He wanted this shirt off as soon as possible.

"Crocodile," Smoker sneered.

"You really are a stray hound, aren't you, Smoker? You never thought of me as an ally from the start. Oh, that's right, I was going to have you die in an accident. I reported you fighting the Straw Hats several times. Hahaha. I don't know why you came here, but it was obviously out of your own accord," he said casually, sitting in a fancy chair. "The government believes me, they wouldn't send any marines here normally."

Zoro had his hand on his sword. "So, that's a Warlord, huh?" Luffy was glaring at him, Usopp and Nami terrified.

"Hey! You!" Luffy started angrily, but was cut off.

"You did well to come this far, Straw Hat. I never thought I'd actually meet you. But you somehow scared the Unluckies, it seems. I don't see why, you aren't frightening at all," Crocodile said mockingly. Luffy glared. "But don't worry, I'll be killing you very soon. But the guest of honor isn't here yet. I've just sent my partner to pick her up recently." He laughed.

He truly looked weird. Slicked black hair with a very nasty stitched up scar across his face. While they waited, Luffy seething, he wondered if Crocodile's head had been chopped off and then fixed. "Not possible. That scar has to be from something else," Nami said calmly.

Smoker asked just how stupid he was, and Luffy stuck his tongue out at him. "Hey, Usopp, watch. Sanji impersonation: 'who took all the meat?'' He pretended to be smoking. Usopp laughed, and Zoro added he had to be harassing women casually from the corner of the cage. Nami yelled at them to all be serious.

"It's not like we can get out and have anything better to do," Usopp shouted, holding the bump on his head.

"Nami impersonation: 'you idiot, pay me back my money! Don't touch my tanger' - oof! Hey!" Nami was seething more, and Zoro was cracking up in the corner. She took a deep, calming breath. Smoker was looking at them like they were all crazy.

Crocodile was still there, being quiet and watching them in cruel amusement. "You're quite the feisty girl, aren't you?" he asked.

"What?! You'd better take this time to compose yourself! Once these guys are out of this cage, they'll beat your ass!" Nami snapped, gesturing to Luffy.

"Yeah, get ready, punk!" Luffy shouted back. Crocodile wondered what happened to Luffy. He was covered in blood. Zoro said he just fell into a butcher's shop. "Hmm, I wonder." But he didn't seem overly curious.

"Your crew really has a lot of trust in you, don't they, Straw Hat? Trust, hahaha, the most useless thing in the world." They were about to argue more when they heard a very familiar voice scream Crocodile's name.

They were horrified to see Vivi was captured! "Hello, welcome Vivi, princess of Alabasta," Crocodile said, not even rising from his chair or looking any different. "No, Miss Wednesday. You have done an admirable job of avoiding my agents on your way here."

Vivi looked at him in disgust and hatred, "Of course! I'd come from anywhere as long as I get to watch you die, Mr. 0!" Luffy was surprised. Well, Vivi wouldn't kill him herself. He felt she wasn't capable of it, no matter how livid or hurt she was. She was too peaceful. But the pirates would do it for her.

"It's your worthless country that's going to die, Miss Wednesday," he said with a lazy but evil grin. Vivi attacked him, spewing her anger about the state of her country. She brought out her weapon and attacked him. But they needed her to open the cage door to let them out to back her up, but she was too consumed in her anger.

Her attack hit the target, but his head burst into sand. They were surprised but Smoker. This was no doubt another devil fruit. Like Smokey's and Ace's. But then Crocodile was behind Vivi, grabbing her face. "If you live in this country, then you should know the power of my sand sand fruit. Shall I turn you into a mummy?"

"Let go of Vivi! I'm gonna kill you!" Luffy roared while the others were shouting at her to be released. Smoker and Zoro were quiet, though Zoro was angry. But thankfully he didn't kill her right in front of her helpless friends, she was forced to sit at the long table. Miss All Sunday was back. "Sit and stop glaring at me," Crocodile said to Vivi. "It's just about time for the party to start. Am I wrong Miss All Sunday?"

The woman said, "You are correct. It's past seven." Luffy looked at her long and hard, not at Crocodile. She looked at him and then discreetly turned her head to the side, looking away from him, though her easy smile didn't falter. A smile of amusement. She really was good at lying if she was, even on her face. He wished he could talk to her. But she was an enemy, and had hurt Vivi.

Crocodile revealed his plan to them, laughing the whole time. Planting his own employees to give out firearms and spur doubt in the kingdom after he produced and framed the king for the dance powder. He had been secretly egging on the rebellion indirectly. He was positive his plan was going to be pulled off that day. Miss All Sunday stayed quiet.

Vivi was adamant they could get to Albarna before him and stop it before the plan was successful. Everyone in the rebellion and royal army would die that day, while Crocodile would watch the downfall of the country. It was messing with Vivi's head, making her more and more emotional as her friends were forced to watch.

None of the threats or reassurances were heard by the princess, caught up in painful emotions. Luffy would take him out painfully, no doubt.

Then Crocodile threatened the king, but didn't say what he'd do, making Vivi more terrified for her family now, as well. A key was dangled in front of her, to unlock the cage that the Straw Hats and Smoker were in. He then tossed it into a pit below. "Go and get it, Miss Wednesday," he taunted. Vivi looked down in the hole with fear as Crocodile told her she could choose to save them by getting the key out of the banana gator room, or leaving as soon as possible to get to the place where so much bloodshed would occur.

When the banana gators came into view, they saw they were massive and had banana shaped things protruding from their heads. They watched as the banana gator ate the key. "Ahhh! Go get the key, Vivi! Make it spit it out!" Luffy screamed.

"I can't! Banana gators are extremely viscous! I'll die the second I get close to it!"

"You have to do something!" Usopp shouted. Zoro looked calm and Nami was biting her nails. Zoro turned to Luffy and said, "Once the villains leave, command the gator to give us back to key. How you did with the Unluckies." Luffy's eyes brightened and he nodded. The others hadn't heard.

He was now just waiting for the enemies to leave. Crocodile taunted Vivi a bit more, and then told them the room would be destroyed in 1 hour. He didn't need this base anymore. After all, the country would be his by the end of the day. The room would fill with water and kill them. Zoro's eyes narrowed.

Luffy was concerned about his other friends, but was trying to put that on the backburner. Where was Chopper? And Sanji? We're they okay?

"So, choose between one million lives, or these small time pirates," Crocodile said on the stairs. "Your chances of saving either one are slim. Here, your bet is your feelings. Do you like gambling? Kuhahaha! Even a princess is powerless in these circumstances. It was too easy to do my work here. There are so many idiots. Especially those young rebels-"

"Go away already! You're annoying!" Luffy shouted.

Crocodile looked down at him from the top of the stairs. "Well, annoying is better than dead, is it not? Kuahaha!" As he left, he admitted he was responsible for burying Yuba in sand, driving the rebels out, and ruining Mr. Toto's dream. Luffy was going to kill him. Though a logia would be hard to smash his knee against like he had done with Kreig.

Finally he was gone after taunting them just one more time, truly being annoying. He was the annoying kind of evil. Kreig had been the stupid, Arlong had been the selfish. And the water started to come quickly, soon up to Luffy's thighs. Zoro picked him up and put him on his shoulders. "Do it!"

And the first banana gator came out, the floor flooding as it came in. "VIVI GET OUT OF THERE!" Nami screamed. Vivi said she needed to key or they were dead, everyone was dead without them. Luffy took a deep breath. "BANANA GATORS!" he roared. "GIVE US BACK THE KEY!" Surely they'd be just as afraid as sea kings had been. Smoker said there was no use in doing that, until more gators were seen breaking through the glass walls of the pit and fleeing the compound.

But one came back, threw up some big ball and the key and then ditched, all of them gone for now. Vivi got the key and unlocked the door while Luffy scrubbed his clothes in the water as best as he could.

Zoro had his shorts and were frantically squeezing the blood out. "How is it?"

"Doesn't smell anymore!" Luffy said as they waded through the water and up the stairs, running out, all soaking wet. Smoker was following, his jitte mangled. He demanded to know how Luffy did all these things. The water then suddenly gushed immensely faster, and Zoro held Luffy above in his arms, not touching the water at all. Smoker was drowning though.

"Save Smokey!" Luffy ordered. Zoro huffed and chucked Luffy to the staircase, where he ran up and helped his friends up. Zoro swam deep into the sinking marine captain, completely immobile. And much heavier than Luffy was. He dragged him up and onto the staircase. He coughed out water, and demanded to know why Zoro saved him.

"Captain's orders," he said, and ran after his friends. "Don't thank me, it's Luffy being Luffy."

They met up with Sanji hurrying in. He saw the dried and faded blood all over Luffy, and grew concerned. "We're all okay. But we have to get to Albaurna immediately!" Nami shouted. Sanji said he was about to be the cool guy. "Better to be fast than draw it out, Sanji-kun."

Vivi was crying in anger and fear, frustration and shame. "Why are you all soaked?" Luffy said they were in a cage and then water came and he ordered monsters to vomit. "Oh… well, never mind." They left the casino at the same time, and heard Smoker say, "I'll let you get away, only this time. The next time we meet, you're a dead man. Remember that Straw Hat Luffy."

Smoker stopped the marines and the crew ditched, not being followed, he three behind him, "You're not that bad, after all!" and ran. He listened as Smoker told them the chase was off for now. He was tired. And to send reinforcements to Alabasta.

They were looking for Chopper by following his scent before he was right in front of him on a giant crab! "Guys, we're leaving on this!" The crab grew afraid of Luffy, but they couldn't afford for their ride outta there to be afraid.

"Shishishi, no need to be afraid! Chopper likes me right?" Chopper vehemently told the crab that Luffy would never hurt him. They jumped on while the crab was hesitating. Luffy patted its head as they headed to the desert, Lashes still there with them. It was his friend. The animals really were helpful.

But then Vivi was suddenly off of the crab! A hook was around her waist. Luffy yanked her back and switched positions. He would end this, now. His crew were screaming his name, Zoro stayed quiet but Luffy heard him muttering prayers or maybe just begs for him to be okay. Luffy hadn't told him not to fight, or said a thing to the battle against Hawkeye. He was returning the favor. And Luffy would be fine, he didn't need to worry!

"You guys go on ahead! I'll be fine!" he shouted firmly, confidently. "Make sure you get there! Get Vivi to the palace! No matter what!" The others were freaking, Vivi especially, but Nami calmed her down, or at least stopped the screams of his name. Their voices of confidence in him dimmed and their scents did as well as the crab zoomed away at an incredibly fast pace.

One last call was Vivi promising to meet him in their final destination: Alubarna. "Okay!" Luffy called back.

Luffy stood up, and both Crocodile and Miss All Sunday were there. "Haha, the princess just ran out on us," the woman said. Luffy stared at her deeply again, making her look uncomfortable. Luffy still couldn't figure her out.

The Warlord was unbothered. "Anyways, the agents in Alubarna should be done with their duties soon… call them," Crocodile said. "I think your little games have gone on too long, "Straw Hat Luffy."

He had his hat hiding his eyes. "You know her. She's weak, but does everything she can. She can't bear to abandon anyone so she's always in pain. She wants this rebellion to end without anyone dying." Crocodile said it was useless and for fools to believe things like that. Luffy agreed.

He brushed off his bloody shorts, and finished, "But as long as you're alive, she will fight you to her grave. That's why I'm stopping you right here." The Warlord mocked him, like Luffy expected. But he would win against this monster. He protected the homes of Sanji, Nami, Usopp. Now it was Vivi's turn. And he would do it with no complaint, like how he'd never done before.

"I'll give everything to win against you, and go help them foil your plans. Your reign of terror... Is over," Luffy said darkly. He would not lose control. He had had recent blood, and he would still need to head to Alubarna, he couldn't afford to be fatigued and just die out there in the desert alone, unable to move. Dying alone, and not dying fighting, would be the worst kind of death.

He had no plan on losing. "I want to shut your stupid mouth. Maybe I'll give you a big weird scar like the one already on your face," Luffy said, voice dark and whole popping his knuckles. Crocodile got irritated, and Miss All Sunday started to laugh.

"What's so funny?!" he demanded. "Do you want to die as well, Nico Robin?"

Robin said, "If that's how you feel about it, do as you wish. And what happened to your promise of not calling me that?" she asked lightly, walking away. He asked where she was going. "To Alubarna."

"Crazy woman," the Warlord muttered. He turned back to Luffy, and tossed a sand timer down. "I'll give you three minutes. After that, I won't have the time to play with you anymore," he said dismissively, completely looking down on Luffy. "Any problems?"

"Nope. Fine with me." He didn't want to get separated for too long. "Gomu gomu pistol!" and he shot a fist out in his head, only for it to turn into sand. The man moved forward thrusting his claw at Luffy's throat. He contorted his body to bend backwards. "Gomu gomu stamp!" he shouted, shooting his foot out, but it just went right through him.

He wished Ace had taught him how to deal with logias. Crocodile's fruit looked a lot more deadly than Smokers. The sand would hurt if it rubbed against him, even with his rubber skin. He was knocked to the ground and rolled, irritated now. How did he deal with a logia?

"Let me tell you one thing, Straw Hat Luffy. No matter how much you struggle, you will never, ever-" but Luffy set a gatling gun at his face before he finished his sentence. He was fine, the fists hitting only sand, no real body. He tried speaking again, but Luffy shot a gomu gomu bazooka into his stomach, blowing the sand apart, but still not doing any damage.

While he was reforming, Luffy slammed him into the ground with a battle axe. He stomped on the sand, asking if he got him. "Stupid croc! Crocodiles suck! Gators taste better!" he raged as he stomped down, before Crocodile reformed behind him.

"I already told you that wouldn't work," he said calmly. He wasn't even breathing quickly.

"Asshole!"

Crocodile smiled his condescending smile at him. Luffy could tell the sand timer was going quickly. "No matter how much you fight, gomu gomu human, you will never-" Luffy slammed a fist in his face. He made a noise, being cut off by Luffy's fist from whatever he was going to say. How much did he want to talk during the battle? Arlong did that, too!

"What's with bad guys and monologuing!? Besides, you should finish your sentences!" He looked momentarily furious.

But he composed himself enough to speak. "Why don't we end the games now, Straw Hat Luffy?" Luffy shouted he'd been fighting seriously. All he'd been doing was literally nothing. Was he too scared to attack Luffy directly? "If you want me to attack, fine. I'll show you the true difference between our strength. You and I are pirates of completely different leagues!"

He shot a blast of sand that ripped through the earth, creating a huge fissure that almost went right through the rubber teen. "Oof!" He'd barely been missed. His eyes were wide in shock, but not fear. He rolled and then jumped back up, putting his fists in front of him. He couldn't lose control. He wouldn't, he'd be useless afterwards.

He'd finish with just his skill alone! He was strong, wasn't he? And time was running out. It felt like it'd passed three minutes long ago. "Well spotted, you would have said ouch if it hit you." If it hit him, he would be dead, not just ouch. Luffy was still shocked that the desert was literally cut in half, but he didn't let it distract him.

"Depending on the devil fruit and how you use and train them-" Luffy hit him.

"Stop monologuing, stupid! You're just like Arlong and Kuro!" Luffy shouted. It was nearly three minutes, he didn't have time for the guy to brag about his powers and status. "Get serious already, idiot! Stupid Crocodile!" Luffy was very irritated. He was acting like Luffy was just some weakling and not worth any effort.

"Very well," Crocodile growled. Then a sinkhole formed under him, and sand started to rush into the crack of dessert. It was going fast, and Luffy was being sucked inside. "Crap!" he shouted. He started running as fast as he could, not listening to Crocodile as his heart was beating in his ears. He wasn't going to lose, right?

He couldn't fail his crew, Ace, Vivi... Zoro… "I won't be buried alive!" he shouted, and slammed his hands down to propel him out of the quicksand.

"There's no living being who can go toe to toe with me in the desert."

"You're going down! Gomu gomu net!" he shouted, his fingers tangled in a net that he stretched around Crocodile, easily encompassing him, but it failed, and the enemy slipped through his fingers, literally. Crocodile looked unimpressed and exasperated. "Gomu gomu whip!" and he slashed him in two.

"Repeating the same old thing again?!" he asked, voice truly sounding annoyed with him now. He was the annoying one. Talking the whole time. A clump of sand latched onto his arm, and he felt all of the blood dry in it. It hurt like hell, and he couldn't move it. He just screamed at the pain.

"My arm! It's mummy, he turned me into a mummy!" He explained he'd sucked all the moisture in it, not just the blood. He contemplated killing Luffy by doing that to his entire body.

"Give you a little taste of the desert…"

"Enough of this!" Luffy screamed angrily. "Ah, that's it!" Luffy cheered. He ran to his little barrel of water and blood and slurped a big gulp, bringing back the moisture in his arm. "Water!" he yelled.

"Ridiculous."

"No, it's not! An old guy from Yuba gave it to me. Spent all night digging it up! And you know what he said? Yuba will never be defeated by mere sand! Gomu gomu chomp!" and he stretched his mouth open around his head, actually biting down, and making him jerk away. His neck was bleeding with large teeth marks. "Haha! I ate you! You taste horrible!" Luffy mocked, finally being the one to land an attack.

"Enough bullshit!" Crocodile screamed, looking livid and unhinged. It looked like Luffy's teeth were special or something? How did they bite a logia? Could he eat anything? Ace would laugh so hard about this. "Prepare to die along with that hardy soil of Yuba! Your three minutes are up. Didn't I tell you I didn't have time to play with you? Sables," he said the last part calmly as a sandstorm came. A little sand tornado that rubbed Luffy's skin roughly. "The sand is nice and dry today."

Crocodile then mockingly told and taunted Luffy about sending this sand storm to Yuba. He'd sent plenty there. It pissed Luffy off, remembering the hard work of the nice old man, and his determination to find water even there. Luffy tried attacking him again, got close enough to bite his jugular like some animal.

But he got too close, and couldn't see very well in the lots of sand, and had something shoved through his stomach, coming out his back. Luffy hung there. "Just who do you think I am?" Luffy felt his blood dripping onto his hook. But it didn't dissolve, as it wasn't the enemies body. Even though it was run through him, the blood did no damage, unfortunately.

Blood bubbled up in his throat, and he spat it at Crocodile, determined to fight to the very end, even if it made him look immature. The blood burnt on his face, leaving little burns all over his cheeks. Luckily for him, it missed his eyes. He also could tell the water barrel had broken, and as he lost lots of burning blood, he was able to grab his wet arm. "I… won't die," Luffy said even as more blood bubbled in his throat.

He was slashed across the chest, too. Now he had a hole in his gut and was bleeding from his chest, too, before he noticed the hook had been rusted. "You sure are a little monster. Well, you won't ever bother anybody else again, ant," and Luffy was tossed into the quicksand. Crocodile's face looked angry, but also unnerved as the burns on his face were bubbled badly. Like pimple-freckles.

Luffy had no blood to drink and was losing a lot. He was sinking inside, and Crocodile didn't taunt in the end. The last thing Luffy thought about was how his blood was helpful against enemies. Then the sand consumed him, got in his mouth, his wounds, his eyes. Everything was dark, and muted.

He could hear, see, and smell nothing.